Of Cynical Bookworms and Blondes
by Winter-Rae
Summary: Lindsey’s been chasing after Noah all week and no one can figure out why. Noah’s been avoiding Lindsey all week and this has the guys questioning his sanity, among other things. Main pairing: Noah/Lindsey Side pairing: Tyler/Bridgette


**Of Cynical Bookworms and Blondes**

**Title: **Of Cynical Bookworms and Blondes

**Summary: **Lindsey's been chasing after Noah all week and no one can figure out why. Noah's been avoiding Lindsey all week and this has the guys questioning his sanity, among other things.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing!

**Pairings:** Main: Noah/Lindsey, Side: Tyler/Bridgette

**Warnings:** You guys all know how I role.

**Winter-Rae:** This is for **Life-GetOne**, who asked for Noah and Lindsey. Don't think I can make that work? Watch me! And a big thanks to **The Kobold Necromancer** who gave me some advice on this one. This one is set before, during and after the dodge ball episode.

* * *

**Of Cynical Bookworms and Blondes**

Noah stepped out of the guy's half of the cabin only to quickly dodge back inside, colliding with Trent and Justin. The two exchanged looks and then looked down at Noah.

"Dude," Trent said, "Where's the fire?"

"No fire," Noah whispered, "You didn't see me!"

The bookworm then quickly hid underneath one of the bunks. Once again his odd actions had Trent and Justin exchanging confused looks. A knock on the front door of the cabin revealed Lindsey's pretty smiling face.

"Morning Todd, hi Justin!"

"It's Trent Lindsey," the musician replied. The blonde, not concerning herself with her mistake peeked into the guy's cabin, as if she was looking for something.

"Have you guys seen Noah?" she asked.

"Umm no," Trent replied, "Why?"

"I wanted to see if he wanted to go for a walk with me, I haven't been able to get my hands on him all week. I'm starting to think he's sick or something."

"Why?" Justin asked.

"Why else would he be avoiding me?" she asked, "He must want to make sure I don't get his cold. Isn't he the sweetest thing ever?"

"Uhh, sure?" Trent replied, thinking that the word 'sweet' was the last word he would use to describe Noah. Cynical, smart ass, jerk, annoying, now those were words he could get behind to describe him.

"I know right!" Lindsey said enthusiastically, "If you see him will you tell him I'm looking for him and that I hope he feels better. Oh and tell him my in tune system is really good so he doesn't have to worry about getting me sick! Bye Todd, later Justin!"

She waved and left.

"In tune system?" Justin asked.

"Immune system," Noah muttered as he crawled out from under the bunk bed and dusted his clothes off. He then grabbed his book and left the cabin with Trent and Justin following after him. They noticed that Noah was very careful to make sure he was within hiding place distances in case he should see the blonde bombshell again.

"You were just running away from Lindsey?" Trent asked.

"Give him a prize," Noah replied while rolling his eyes.

"Why though?"

"Because she won't leave me alone."

"Last time I checked having a hot girl with boobs the size of your head chasing after you wasn't a bad thing."

The three Screaming Gopher boys turned to see a very tired looking Duncan. He was with Geoff and Tyler who were also looking not especially rested.

"Your vulgar description of women only confirms my suspicions that you are single," Noah muttered.

"I can still give you a piercing bookworm," the punk replied threateningly.

"Why would Lindsey be running after you anyway?" Geoff asked, "She doesn't seem your type."

"She isn't," Tyler added snickering, "Cody is."

"That's not funny!" Noah snapped, "That was an accident! I was running on no sleep! I like girls just fine, only not girls like her."

"Dude, she's the definition of girl," Duncan pointed out. Noah rolled his eyes.

"Not really; she's too skinny, too endowed, and has too little brain power."

"Jeez and people think I'm superficial," Justin said. Noah glared at him.

"Whatever, I don't have to take this."

"NOAH!"

The bookworm winced as Lindsey hurried over to him and hugged him.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Oh yes, loads," he replied sarcastically. Lindsey, not catching on, smiled.

"Oh that's so good!" she said, "I was worried."

She then looked up and smiled at the other guys.

"Hi," she said in a sing-song voice, "What were you guys talking about."

"You," Tyler replied, a starry look in his eyes. It wasn't a shocker that he had a crush on the pretty blonde. Geoff nudged him.

"Awww," Lindsey said, "that's so sweet, Taylor! Good things, I hope?"

"Nothing but the best," Noah replied, his voice dripping with his usual cruel sarcasm. Had Lindsey been more in tuned with the art of sarcasm this comment would have hurt her feelings. However, she was blissfully unaware of it and thus smiled brightly.

"It's Noah awesome?" she asked, "He's so smart. The guys at my school are all dumb."

Noah tried to shrug off her embrace but he wasn't having any luck. She insisted on hugging him.

"Lindsey, let go please."

"Don't worry Noah, I won't get sick."

"Oh that's right, because you have a very good in tune system right?"

She gasped.

"That's right, how did you know that?"

Noah smacked his forehead.

"We gave him your message Lindsey," Trent said quickly. She smiled.

"You guys are so nice, right Noah?"

"Oh yes, super duper nice," he replied with fake enthusiasm. Lindsey giggled.

"You're so funny Noah. Can we go for a walk later? I have to go and see Heather right now."

"Whatever."

She hugged him again and after waving and saying good bye to the other guys, using all the wrong names of course, she left. Noah smacked his head with his book.

"Why me!"

"You're a jerk," Tyler pointed out, "Who wouldn't want a girl like Lindsey hanging off of them?"

"You can have her then," the bookworm snapped and then he stalked off.

"What's with him?" Duncan asked yawning.

"He probably has a thing against athletes and pretty girls," Geoff replied, "Since he's the smart type they probably make fun of him all the time. So now since he's got one of the hottest girls all over him he probably doesn't know how to react so he's trying to avoid her."

The guys were amazed by Geoff's insight to the situation. The party boy just grinned.

"You never cease to amaze me dude," Duncan said, "But right now, I need a nap."

"He doesn't deserve to have a girl like Lindsey all over him," Tyler muttered bitterly.

* * *

"Where have you been Lindsey?" Heather asked, "Our next challenge is starting soon."

"I know that," the blonde replied, "I was talking to Noah."

Heather frowned and shook her head.

"I told you he doesn't like you already," she said, "Why do you keep going after him."

"Noah likes me!" Lindsey replied, sounding hurt, "He's really nice."

"Jeez you're so dumb it hurts even me sometimes," Heather said. Lindsey didn't really understand what she meant by that but she was sure that it was meant to be an insult. Beth, who was watching the exchange, decided it was the time to step in.

"Sthtop fighting pleathse," she said.

"Look, in this alliance it's just the three of us," Heather said, "So we have to watch each other's backs. Lindsey I'm only looking out for you. Noah isn't the nice guy you seem to think he is. Do you think I would let one of my good friends get hurt by some guy?"

"No, I guess not," Lindsey replied, unsure.

"Good," the raven haired teen said, "Now, we have to win this next challenge. Three wins in a row would be a nice streak for our team. The more people we have on our team means it will get easier and easier to beat theirs. So let's stay focused girls."

She then turned and walked away, leaving Beth and Lindsey to exchange looks.

"Do you really like Noah?" Beth asked. Lindsey smiled and nodded.

"He's so nice Beth!"

Beth, who had spoken to Noah on a few occasions, had a different opinion of the bookworm. But she didn't want to hurt Lindsey's feelings so she thought she would go along for now.

"What do you like about him?"

Lindsey tapped her chin.

"He's really smart," she said, "I wish I was I as smart as he is, maybe then I would get his jokes."

"You are sthmart."

"I guess I am about certain things like make-up and clothes and gossip stuff," Lindsey agreed, "Not as smart as Noah is though."

Beth nodded.

"Doeths he like you?"

"I think so," Lindsey replied, "It's hard to tell, he's so mysterious!"

The blonde certainly looked to be very taken with the cynical bookworm. Beth only hoped that he didn't hurt Lindsey's feelings. She might not be the smartest person around but she was one of the sweetest. Beth had never even been talked to by girls like her at her school. Most of them made fun of her and her braces but Lindsey had never done that, not once.

"Well, I hope it workths out for you guyths!" she chirped.

"Thanks Beth!"

* * *

"Come on Tyler," Geoff said, "Get psyched up man! We're gonna rock the next challenge! I can feel it!"

"Woohoo," the jock muttered with little to zero enthusiasm. Bridgette and Courtney exchanged looks.

"What's the matter?" Bridgette asked as she sat next to Tyler and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Dude's bummed out," Geoff replied, "Lindsey's not into him."

"Lindsey, as in the blonde cheerleader from the other team?" Courtney asked. Tyler sighed and Geoff nodded. The C.I.T. rolled her eyes.

"Tyler, she's on the other team and therefore can't be trusted," she explained as gently as she could given the situation, "You need to forget about her and focus on helping us to win the next challenge!"

"Can we not talk about challenges for once?" Bridgette replied, "As much as I want to win he's upset and we should be a friend to him now."

"I'm not going to stand around while we lose for the third time in a row!" Courtney argued, "We never should have voted Eva off. If she was still here I wouldn't even be worrying right now!"

Bridgette ignored her and looked at Tyler.

"Tyler, I know how upsetting this can be but you have to let her go."

"You know what it's like to like someone but they not like you in return?" he asked. Bridgette nodded.

"Sure."

"I doubt that, you're so pretty, smart and funny, guys must fall all over you."

'Not the ones I like,' the surfer girl thought to herself.

"No," she said, "Not really."

"I just don't understand why she likes Noah! Of all people! I mean I could handle her liking Justin or Trent or even Cody! But Noah!"

"Don't let it get to you Tyler," Bridgette said, "There's plenty of fish in the sea."

Tyler still wasn't convinced. Bridgette sighed and decided it would be best to let him deal with the emotions he was feeling on his own. She stood up and left, leaving the other Killer Bass boys to exchange looks.

"Hey Tyler," Harold spoke up, "As somewhat of an expert on matters of the heart."

Geoff and DJ snickered but a glare from Harold shut them up.

"As I was saying, you might be missing something that's right in front of you."

"What do you mean?" the jock asked.

"There are other blondes on the island," the nerd pointed out.

"Geoff?"

Harold smacked his forehead and then knocked on Tyler's.

"Bridgette you idiot!" he said, "She totally likes you."

"What? No way."

"Yes way," Harold insisted, "I pretty much have mastered the art of girl whispering, I know these things."

"Sure you do," Duncan muttered from his bunk, "Now shut it so I can sleep!"

"Campers!" Chris' voice rang out over the P.A. system, "Get ready for your next challenge!"

"I'm gonna kill him," the punk muttered, "Life in jail would be worth the extra sleep."

* * *

"Today's challenge is the classic game of dodge ball," Chris explained, "The first rule of dodge ball is..."

"Do not talk about dodge ball?" Noah said. Lindsey heard some of the others laughing at this joke, while she didn't get it she laughed along anyway. She then gave him a little wave. He rolled his eyes but returned the gesture. Beth elbowed her.

"Are you listhening?"

"Huh?" the blonde asked, "Oh yeah sure. I know this game, no problem!"

"Throwing balls, oh gee, another mentally challenging test," Noah muttered.

"I know right!" Lindsey agreed with him. Beth smacked her forehead. Lindsey was so busy watching and smiling at Noah that she was drawing a blank on what they were to be doing again.

"So what do I do again when the ball comes at me?" she asked.

"You dodge!" Chris replied as the deflected ball hit her in the face. Noah winced and went to her side.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I think so."

He helped her to her feet. She had a nasty bump on her forehead.

"You're supposed to dodge them."

"Right."

* * *

Noah opted to sit out with Gwen during the first round. He hated sports and wasn't especially good at them when he was forced to play, so why bother? The others could handle it. He was thankful he brought a book along; he could get some major reading in during this useless challenge. He wanted to keep himself fresh in case a challenge worthy of his brain power came along. After all, what good would he be to his team if he was tired out from dodging balls?

"Hi Noah," Lindsey greeted him. He looked up to see yet another bruise on her face.

"I don't think sports are your forte either," he mused.

"I'm a cheerleader," she replied, "I usually just worry about the cheering part of sports you know?"

"At least she's trying," Trent muttered.

"What are you reading?" Lindsey asked, peering over the bookworm's shoulder.

"A book."

"Really? Which one? I like to read too!"

This perked Noah's interests, she actually read.

"What do you read?"

"Oh lots of stuff; Elle, Flare, Glamour, In Style, Vogue," she listed, "You know, all the big names."

"Right," Noah said rolling his eyes, then thought to himself, 'Magazines, figures."

"Alright Noah, you're up," Heather said.

"You know you guys did such an awesome job on the last round that I don't want to mess up your mojo."

"That's so nice of you Noah!" Lindsey said, "See Heather, Noah totally cares about us."

Noah snickered as Lindsey went up to take his place. He watched this round a little more closely and frowned when Tyler hit Lindsey in the face with the ball.

"Way to blow it big time there stud," he called out. He walked over to Lindsey and he and Tyler both watched as she opened her eyes.

"Taylor? Noah."

"You okay?" Tyler asked, wincing as she forgot his name again. She nodded.

"My face!" she gasped, "How's my face?"

"Looks like mine did after I 'accidentally' insulted the quarterback's girlfriend," Noah mused, "You wanna take that walk now?"

Lindsey smiled at him.

"Okay!"

She grabbed his arm and pulled him off of the court.

* * *

Once they were outside Noah turned to her.

"What's with you?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"What is it with this flirty routine you have going on here? Do you want something from me?"

"No," she replied, "I like you."

He scoffed.

"Sure you do."

"Why are you like that?"

"Like what?"

"Well, you're kinda mean sometimes."

"That's just how I am."

Lindsey frowned.

"I don't believe that," she said, "You can be nice. You're nice to me, like when you didn't want me to get your cold."

"Lindsey for the love of God," Noah snapped, "I wasn't even sick, I was avoiding you on purpose."

Lindsey's mouth fell open in shock.

"What?" she asked her blue eyes welling up with tears, "Why?"

"Because you aren't my type okay," he said, "Just leave me alone."

He turned away and went back to the game. Lindsey hung her head sadly and followed, but she was careful not to sit by him.

* * *

"Noah, get off your butt and help us!" Heather snapped at the bookworm, "Those losers are making a comeback now that Duncan's awake!"

"No, I think I'm good," he said, "Besides I am helping."

"How?"

"I'm cheering you all on aren't I?"

"I swear you are the biggest loser ever!" the queen bee growled.

"I told you already," Noah replied, "Sports aren't my forte."

"You're useless!"

"No he's not!" Lindsey spoke up. Noah looked at her in complete surprise that even after what he said to her she was still willing to be nice to him. She walked over to him and sat down next to him

"Please Noah, will you help us?"

He looked away from her, trying to avoid her pleading blue eyes.

"No."

"Please."

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"No!"

"For me?"

"No Lindsey."

Noah was about to go back to his book when Lindsey got down on her knees in front of him. She took his face in her hands and made him look at her.

"Please!" she begged, "Please, please!"

She then hugged him tightly, her cleavage right in his face. Noah's guilt over being mean to her added to the fact that he had never been this close to a girl before was starting to win over his better judgement.

"Alright fine!" he snapped, "Just get those things out of my face."

"YAY!" Lindsey cheered, giving him a kiss on the cheek. Noah actually blushed as he stepped out onto the court. When he saw who he was against, Duncan and Tyler he groaned.

"You have got to be kidding me!" he snapped, "If I die out here I'm coming back to haunt you all. Only this won't be a quiet haunting. Oh no. This will be like the Sixth Sense haunting, better yet The Messengers haunting. I will scare the crap out of you any chance I get!"

"NOAH!" his team yelled.

"WHAT!" he snapped.

"Pay attention!"

Noah frowned, how was it that he was ending up playing the final round? This was the round that would determine which team sat at the campfire ceremony tonight. He sucked at sports and here he was expected to win one. It was not going to end well for him.

"Noah!" Heather called out, "You lose this and I'll make sure you go home tonight."

Noah took that threat seriously, however he felt better when he saw Lindsey stick out her tongue at the queen bee. He then looked to see Tyler and Duncan take aim and throw the dodge balls at him. He ducked Tyler's easily but Duncan's hit him square in the chest, however...

"He caught it!" Duncan said in shock as Noah sat up clutching the ball in his arms.

"I caught it?" the bookworm said in shock.

"He caught it," Chef said, "You're out criminal."

"Yay Noah!" Lindsey cheered, "You can do it!"

Bridgette saw how upset Tyler looked as Lindsey cheered for Noah. She could practically see his self confidence drain away. As much as she hated cheerleading she knew that if no one else believed in Tyler he wasn't going to believe in himself either.

"Come on Tyler!" she yelled suddenly, getting to her feet, "Take him down!"

Tyler looked surprised at her cheering but he also looked extremely happy, she could tell by the blush on his cheeks.

"Ignore the blonde bimbos!" Heather snapped, "Just finish the game!"

"Don't you dare call Lindsey that!" Noah snapped just at the same time Tyler snapped, "Don't you dare call Bridgette that!"

Both Lindsey and Bridgette blushed. The boys standing up to Heather for them only made them more inclined to cheer for them.

"You're going down bookworm!" Tyler threatened, "I will mess you up!"

"Oohh I'm so scared," Noah replied while rolling his eyes.

"Well, good," Tyler said, "Cause...you should be...yeah!"

"Come on Tyler!" Courtney called out, "It's just Noah."

"I'll have you know," Noah started, "That I am just as capable as anyone here and..."

"Noah!" Lindsey shouted.

"What now?"

"Look out!"

Noah looked to see Tyler hurl the ball at him. He screamed and ducked down, the ball missed him.

"You can't just dodge!" Heather snapped, "Throw one back at him."

"Shut up!" Noah snapped as he continued to dodge the balls Tyler was throwing at him, "I'm trying to concentrate!"

He wasn't concentrating hard enough however. As he moved to dodge a ball he accidentally stepped on one. His feet flew out from under him and the ball slowly rolled over to where Tyler was standing, aiming another ball at Noah's head.

"We have a winner!" Chris shouted before Tyler could throw.

"What?" the jock asked. Chris pointed to his feet. The ball that Noah had stepped on had rolled just enough to bump Tyler's foot and Chef was counting it as an out. The Screaming Gophers had won the third challenge.

"Yay Noah!" Lindsey cheered as she ran into the court to help him up, "You did it."

"Just leave me here for a minute please," he said waving them off, "I think I broke my spine."

* * *

Later that evening the Killer Bass were feeling rather down with the fact that they had to vote someone else off. The guys spoke together while the girls spoke together.

"I say Tyler since he messed up," Courtney put forth. Bridgette frowned.

"Well I'm not voting for him."

"This is so beyond your crush on the guy," the C.I.T said, "Someone has to go."

"Make it someone else then."

Katie and Sadie exchanged looks as the other two girls argued.

"What do you think Katie?" Sadie asked.

"I don't know, this is hard, everyone did their best today."

"I know right."

Meanwhile the guys were having a similar problem.

"Just vote me off," Tyler said, "I totally screwed it up for all of us."

"Fine with me," Duncan said with a shrug.

"Bridgette will totally hate you guys if you do that," Harold warned, "And hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. It'll come back to haunt you."

"Why don't we vote you off then Harold?" Duncan asked, "You were especially useless today."

Harold scoffed.

"You'll regret losing my mad skills," he said, "What about Katie or Sadie?"

"What did they do?" DJ asked.

"Nothing, I'm just putting it out there," Harold replied.

"Fine," Duncan said, "Pick one and I'll vote with you guys, just let me sleep for a few minutes before the ceremony."

* * *

"How are you feeling Noah?" Lindsey asked. She and the bookworm were sitting on the balcony of the boy's side of the Screaming Gopher's cabin. He shrugged.

"Alright I guess, I still don't get why you stood up for me today."

"I told you already," Lindsey said, "I like you."

"That's hardly a reason," Noah replied, "Why do you like me anyway? Aren't jocks more your type."

Lindsey tapped her chin while she thought.

"Let's see," she mused, "I like you because you're smart, and funny, you're cute, and have lots of potassium!"

"Potassium?" Noah asked.

"You know, when you can go far in life."

"Oh, you mean potential."

"Yeah, that too," she said with a giggle, then she turned serious, "Why don't you like me?"

"It's not that I don't like you," he replied, "It's just that we're different. I never got along with your crowd. I just don't think it would work out between us. I'm sure you come from a very liberal family and I on the other hand am very conservative."

"Oh, I'm conservative too!" Lindsey said happily, "When I go shopping at the mall, Daddy tells me to be more conservative with my spending!"

Noah sighed.

"You're cute when you think," she complimented. He shook his head.

"We have nothing in common," he said, "You like shopping and gossip magazines. I prefer novels and World of Warcraft."

Lindsey gasped.

"I like video games too!" she said, "See, see, we do have something in common! Yay!"

"You play video games?" Noah asked. He had to admit he never saw that one coming. Lindsey nodded vigorously.

"What did you think I did all day? Hang out at the mall? Besides boys like it when you talk about video games," she said, "I'm more of a PS2 and 3 girl myself. But I also play Diablo 2, and they also made the Warcraft game right?"

"Umm yeah, how did you know that?"

"I told you silly," she said as she patted his head, "I like video games."

Noah observed her carefully for a few moments.

"You're not what I expected," he said finally. She cocked her head to the side.

"That's a good thing right?"

"In this case yes."

"So...can we date now?" she asked clasping her hands together. Noah sighed and rolled his eyes.

"I suppose so."

"Yay!"

Lindsey threw her arms around his neck and nuzzled his cheek. Then she pulled away from him.

"On one conditioner," she said. Noah knew she meant condition but didn't bother correcting her.

"Okay," he said, "What are the terms."

"If I don't get one of your jokes will you explain it to me?"

Noah had to admit that she looked absolutely adorable with the unsure expression on her face.

"You got it, anything else?"

"Can you not roll your eyes so much?" she asked, "I don't want them to get stuck back there."

Noah grinned.

"I'll work on that, and you...have to read a book. An actual book."

"Any suggestions?"

"As a matter of fact..."

Noah disappeared into the guy's cabin and returned with one of his books.

"Of Mice and Men," he said, "Great book, you might like it."

"It's small," Lindsey said, "This'll be easy! I'm going to go and start this now."

Before she left however she leant in and kissed the bookworm.

"Night Noah," she said, "Have a good sleep."

Noah nodded as he felt himself blush.

"Night Lindsey."

As he went back into the guy's cabin they were all looking at him with smirks on their faces.

"What?" he asked.

"So she's not your type?" Trent asked. Noah frowned.

"Whatever, there's a lot more to her than I thought, I'm a big enough man to admit when I'm wrong."

"Awww," Justin teased, pretending to be emotional, "Our little Noah is a big boy now."

"They grow up so fast," Cody added. The two snickered.

"Laugh it up Anti-me and Mr. Smooth," Noah said, "But who's still single here?"

The two exchanged looks.

"That's right," Noah said, "Well, goodnight boys. I know I'm going to sleep very well tonight."

* * *

**Winter-Rae:** Well there you have it everyone. I gotta say, this was fun. And I know Noah was probably a bit out of character at the end. But hey, he was cute. Thanks for reading everyone, cheers!


End file.
